What Is a Hybrid Mattress?
A hybrid features combined components of innerspring, memory foam, and latex mattresses for a more resilient, long-lasting, and supportive sleeping experience. All hybrids contain at least two inches of memory foam for enhanced comfort. Pocketed coils reduce noise and provide strong edge support.
Pros
- Hybrids are less noisy than innerspring mattresses.
- Hybrids tailor support to the individual sleeper by using memory foam and pocketed coils.
- Pocketed coils in hybrid mattresses isolate movement.
- Hybrids can be customized to the individual.
- Many hybrids offer lifetime guarantees and/or free trials.
- Hybrids have longer lifespans than most conventional mattresses.
- Hybrids feature a cooling top layer that encourages sound sleep in hot weather.
Cons
- Hybrids tend to be more expensive than most conventional mattresses.
- The many features hybrids provide can make the buying experience more complex.
Hybrid Mattress vs. Innerspring Mattress
Traditional innerspring mattresses can be a sensible, low-cost option for buyers with a limited budget or for first-time buyers. Even buyers on a budget, however, might want to consider the real cost over time of a hybrid versus the somewhat higher initial cost.
Hybrids generally include a lifetime guarantee. On the other hand, an innerspring mattress has an expected life of 8 to 10 years, even less for very economical models. Over the course of a lifetime, a buyer can expect to replace an innerspring mattress five or six times, maybe more. This makes the hybrid mattress the more economical choice over the cost of a lifetime, even though the buyer pays more up front. The upfront cost can often be spread out with manageable financing options.
Other considerations when choosing the best hybrid are the buyer’s special needs. Hybrids can be more easily customized to conditions like back pain, sciatica, excessive sweating, restless leg syndrome, and more. If you share a mattress with a partner who moves around a lot while sleeping, your best hybrid will isolate that movement via pocketed coils and memory foam to a degree that the standard construction of an innerspring mattress cannot.
Is a Hybrid Mattress Right for Me?
When considering whether or not a hybrid is right for you, think about how the mattress will be used as well as how long you need the mattress to last.
Some of the questions to ask yourself before you buy include:
- Will the mattress be used in the master bedroom or in an infrequently used guestroom?
- Is the mattress economical or fairly priced over its expected lifetime?
- Which special features does the mattress include and do those features match the buyer?
- Does the hybrid come with a lifetime guarantee or a free trial period?
No matter what style of mattress you choose to buy, doing your research and enlisting the help of a mattress specialist ensures that the mattress you take home is the right mattress, now and for years to come.